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2016 Capital District Meet - September 24

Started by vdeane, December 21, 2015, 05:24:29 PM

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vdeane

I did some scouting today despite the weather.  Here's my planned tour: https://goo.gl/maps/KBGJcmkkSnC2

I took out the stop at Stewart's after discovering that that Stewart's is a zoo (and quite small) and also that there are restrooms at the meet photo location.

Time to write the tour notes.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.


kalvado

Quote from: vdeane on June 11, 2016, 06:43:13 PM
I did some scouting today despite the weather.  Here's my planned tour: https://goo.gl/maps/KBGJcmkkSnC2

I took out the stop at Stewart's after discovering that that Stewart's is a zoo (and quite small) and also that there are restrooms at the meet photo location.

Time to write the tour notes.
And what are those 2 points at exit 12 I-90? Just highway view, or something more than that?

cl94

Given the limited time we have for these things and knowing that that route very well might take 4 hours, I like it. I do have a couple of minor routing suggestions:

-Return to the Northway from the north side of the Mohawk via Towpath Rd > Beach Rd > Clamstream Rd > Dunsbach Rd to grab the state name shields. Unless I'm missing some, those are the only ones left in R1 (unless they've taken them out within the past month).
-I don't see the advantage of hopping on 787 to get from the abandoned bridge over the Mohawk to the Ferry Street tunnel, regardless of what Google thinks is the fastest route, just because I know how long the cycle is to make the left across 787. Go down George Street and you get the park under the bridge as well as a view of the west side of the Green Island Bridge. Other legs of the route cover those sections of I-/NY 787.

Quote from: kalvado on June 12, 2016, 03:58:32 PM
And what are those 2 points at exit 12 I-90? Just highway view, or something more than that?

Abandoned service areas. Only original service area buildings still standing.


If it wasn't for the damn toll, I'd suggest returning to the west side of the Hudson via the Castleton Bridge and Singerlands Bypass (which will be just about done) by way of NY 396, Albany CR 55, and NY 32 with a stop at the abandoned bridge over the rail yard.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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vdeane

Good ideas.  Perhaps I'll have two options for the tour - one the way it is now, featuring the view of Albany from US 9/20, and one with the Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge and the rail bridge.

FYI, my planned drive from the pre-meet location at the Albany County rail trail (to view the US 9W and Thruway bridges over the Normans Kill) to the restaurant utilizes both the Delmar Bypass and the Slingerlands Bypass.

The planned place to leave the cars is the Latham Farms parking lot near Home Depot.  Hopefully they don't care (I could have sworn this was a CDTA park and ride site, but I can't find it on their website).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

cl94

Quote from: vdeane on June 13, 2016, 06:33:51 PM
The planned place to leave the cars is the Latham Farms parking lot near Home Depot.  Hopefully they don't care (I could have sworn this was a CDTA park and ride site, but I can't find it on their website).

There's one behind Nemer Volkswagen that is designated. Granted, I think the Latham Farms parking lot might be fine (especially if we park near the former Walmart if that space is still empty). We could also use the Exit 8 lot, which is basically on the route.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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vdeane

The Volkswagen one is small but doesn't look like it's used much.  Exit 8 is probably a bit out of the way for the car location.

I noticed some construction at the former WalMart.  Not sure how much of that lot they commandeered.  What's interesting is that this sign exists on NY 7 (as do two on US 9) and there's a decent sized bus station in the middle.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

vdeane

So, thinking about the parking, I can see three options:
-Option A: Latham Farms near the bus stops; I could have sworn there was once a CDTA park and ride here, though it's no longer on the website; park and ride signs still on NY 7 WB and US 9 SB, but it looks more like the rest of the Home Depot lot than anything else (link)
-Option B: Market Bistro/Hobby Lobby plaza back lot on Hobby Lobby side; looks decently out of the way, and would put Latham Circle on the ride over from the restaurant (and at the beginning/ending of the tour) instead of as an awkward addendum; never a park and ride to my recollection, but there's a sign on US 9 NB (link)
-Option C: official CDTA park and ride on Herbert Drive; officially sanctioned (on website), but little/no signage, small (but not used much), and kinda sketchy (including a couple shopping carts that are just left there for no reason) (link)

Let me know which is preferred and I'll use that when typing up the tour notes.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

kalvado

Quote from: vdeane on July 08, 2016, 01:09:19 PM
So, thinking about the parking, I can see three options:
-Option A: Latham Farms near the bus stops; I could have sworn there was once a CDTA park and ride here, though it's no longer on the website; park and ride signs still on NY 7 WB and US 9 SB, but it looks more like the rest of the Home Depot lot than anything else (link)
-Option B: Market Bistro/Hobby Lobby plaza back lot on Hobby Lobby side; looks decently out of the way, and would put Latham Circle on the ride over from the restaurant (and at the beginning/ending of the tour) instead of as an awkward addendum; never a park and ride to my recollection, but there's a sign on US 9 NB (link)
-Option C: official CDTA park and ride on Herbert Drive; officially sanctioned (on website), but little/no signage, small (but not used much), and kinda sketchy (including a couple shopping carts that are just left there for no reason) (link)

Let me know which is preferred and I'll use that when typing up the tour notes.

There is also a new walmart down the street - and walmart is often friendly to longer-term parking. I left a car overnight on walmart lot without an issue, customer service lady just said "oh, sure" .. Although a dead battery and receipt for replacement I just bought in same store could help. 

cl94

Or option D: Official park and ride at the former K-Mart on Route 2 next to Cumberland Farms and Stewart's. We could get Latham Circle on the way from the restaurant and a great view of the NY 7 expressway from the Miller Rd overpass heading to the first stop. The Walmart at Latham Circle is another good option.

Dick's/Field and Stream is going in where the old Walmart was at Latham Farms. I don't know how busy it'll be.

If anybody wants a good photo opportunity of NY 7, I-787, and the Troy/Albany skylines from the Troy side, I have card access to just about every building at RPI and a couple have great views. From having a class in a room that had a clear view of everything north of the Green Island Bridge, I can say that it is quite mesmerizing. The library has a relatively unobstructed view of everything from south of the Corning Tower to north of Waterford.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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Rothman

If I had after-hours access to the building, we could also see a real-life NYSDOT cubicle farm in NYSDOT's MO.

Sadly, I do not.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

vdeane

I'm debating about whether to have the end of the tour drive over the Castleton-on-Hudson bridge and then take I-787 north.  This would eliminate the U turn to get I-787 after the South Mall Arterial.  Note that NY 85 is covered in my planned drive from the pre-meet to the restaurant.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

vdeane

Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

cl94

Looks good. The biggest issue I see (unfortunately unavoidable due to interchange geometry at Northern Blvd without a detour past Siena) is the turn at US 9/NY 378. Depending on attendance, it might take quite a while to get everyone through there as traffic coming off of CR 154 tends to be heavy and there's no protected phase.

An addition to the pre-meet if there's time: there's another bridge just past the Thruway carrying the bike path over Normans Kill. From a bridge nerd perspective, it's the coolest of the 3.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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jpi

With just less then 3 weeks left to go, I am afraid Steph and I are going to have to back out. My 25 year class reunion decided to fall on this date and since we will be in central PA already we choose this instead, hope you all have fun and will be there in spirit.
Jason Ilyes
JPI
Lebanon, TN
Home Of The Barrel

vdeane

Quote from: cl94 on September 05, 2016, 09:25:31 PM
Looks good. The biggest issue I see (unfortunately unavoidable due to interchange geometry at Northern Blvd without a detour past Siena) is the turn at US 9/NY 378. Depending on attendance, it might take quite a while to get everyone through there as traffic coming off of CR 154 tends to be heavy and there's no protected phase.

An addition to the pre-meet if there's time: there's another bridge just past the Thruway carrying the bike path over Normans Kill. From a bridge nerd perspective, it's the coolest of the 3.
Nice.  I would think there would be time to walk over, assuming people can talk and walk at the same time.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

cl94

What's great about this area is that there are so many hidden things related to transportation. We could probably spend days driving around looking at unique bridges, abandoned canals, neat engineering and the like. Depending on what people want to see after the meet if they have time, I know of a million places to send people within an hour's drive.

I will mention this now: if you have a couple hours after the meet and want to see something really unique, the Hadley Bow Bridge is the only bridge of its kind left in the world. When I was little, it was open only to pedestrians and the county did a really good job restoring it for vehicular traffic.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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Rothman

It's too bad NY 85 isn't on the tour, since you would see how Region 1 put up that APL with an option lane in the middle when, due to the construction zone, it's actually an exit only lane.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

vdeane

#42
Just two weeks to go!  I'd like everyone who's going to let me know in the next week (if you haven't already) so I can make the reservation for the diner.  Also let me know if you're going to the pre-meet so I know who to expect there (will be posting this to Facebook later).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

cl94

I'll be at the pre-meet. Not like I have far to drive. Already RSVPed on Facebook.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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dgolub

Quote from: vdeane on September 10, 2016, 02:44:59 PM
Just two weeks to go!  I'd like everyone who's going to let me know in the next week (if you haven't already) so I can make the reservation for the diner.  Also let me know if you're going to the pre-meet so I know who to expect there (will be posting this to Facebook later).

I'm still TBD for the moment.  I would very much like to come, but it's likely that I'll have a family thing that will conflict.

cl94

This might seem self-explanatory, but everyone who plans on driving the meet route should probably have an E-ZPass. The cash lanes at the Exit 23 tolls can get quite backed up and B1 often only has 1 person handing out tickets.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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bob7374

As of now, I am planning to come and will try to get to the pre-meet. I will be traveling from the Boston area that morning, so this is traffic permitting.

vdeane

As posted on Facebook, the restaurant doesn't do reservations on weekends.  I'll be calling them before we leave the pre-meet to give them a heads up so they can prepare for the group.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

cl94

I'll try and get up to Halfmoon this week and make sure the state name shields are still there. Would be a shame to try and drive by only for them to be gone.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

vdeane

They were there when I went to NYSDOT's summer picnic last month.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.



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